The Parent Squad

Newstalk ZB

If it takes a village to raise a child, it must take a whole country to raise a family! Newstalk ZB’s Parent Squad helps to do just that. Joined by expert guests The Weekend Collective team delves into the complexities of Kiwi family life.

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September 19 · 37 min
Maneesh Deva: How do help our kids handle stress?
Some stresses in life you can't save your kids from. Maybe they didn't get picked for a sports team, they're behind on homework, or had a falling out with someone close, it's going to happen. So how do you help your child through difficult emotions like stress? Paediatrician Maneesh Deva joins Tim Beveridge to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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September 12 · 33 min
Stephanie Pow: How much should your kids know about your finances?
When your children are young, how much money mum and dad have probably isn't on their mind. But as kids get older, they understand what's "expensive" and what's cheap, and with that brings questions. "Mum, so-and-so's parents take them to Rarotonga every year, why don't we do that?" So how do you navigate these conversations? Founder of Crayon Stephanie Pow joins Tim Beveridge on Parent Squad to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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September 5 · 37 min
Tim O'Connor: What’s the best way for a parent to address a problem at school?
We often think of being engaged in our children's education as pitching in with after school activities, or making sure you turn up to the parent-teacher days. But if your kid comes home every day complaining about a teacher, or the way a course is taught, who do you talk to? What warrants a conversation with the school? Auckland Boys' Grammar School Headmaster Tim O'Connor joins Tim Beveridge to discuss how parents can make sure they're staying on top of their children's educaion. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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August 29 · 36 min
Sara Chatwin: How do you manage your emotions in front of your kids?
Road rage is something we are all guilty of indulging in. But if you lose your cool in front of your kids, it can cause some unwanted side effects. Mindworks Psychologist Sara Chatwin joins Tim Beveridge to discuss when to show your emotions in front of your kids, and when to keep yourself in check. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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August 22 · 36 min
Dr. Miriam McCaleb: How do you go about having the sex talk with your children?
We all need to have that talk with our kids, but it's probably the one you want to have least. The Sex talk. Everyone remembers when their parents told them about the birds and the bees, and now it's time to pass your wisdom on to your own kids. So how can you go about it without making them - or yourself - too uncomfortable? Dr. Miriam McCaleb joins Tim Beveridge to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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August 15 · 34 min
Dr Maneesh Deva: Is it ever okay to digitally track your children?
Parents can now know where their child is, read school portals, monitor screen time, track devices, and see bank transactions. We are the first generation of parents capable of knowing almost everything our teenagers are doing. But just because we can track our kids, should we be doing it? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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August 8 · 36 min
Sheridan Eketone: How much extracurricular activity is too much?
Extracurricular activities are important for our children's development - but there's a balance that needs to be found. So how do you encourage your kids to try everything, without it being too much? And parents want to get on with their kids. Be invested in their interests, help them follow what they want to do - but are other key aspects of parenting being sacrificed as parents try to be friends with their kids? Parenting Coach Sheridan Eketone from Parenting Place joins Tim Beveridge to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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August 1 · 36 min
Sara Chatwin: How do you help your teens pick a career?
10,000 Kiwi kids left school without any qualifications last year. No parent wants their kid to end up in that situation, so how do you guide them towards picking a successful career? And when is the time to get your kids to start thinking about their future career? Mindworks psychologist Sara Chatwin joins Tim Beveridge on The Parent Squad to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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July 25 · 38 min
Mary Willow: Modern vs traditional parenting styles
Parenting styles naturally evolve through the decades but in the 21st century it seems social media is accelerating these changes. 'Gentle Parenting' has been a huge topic of discussion in online parenting circles, but have we gone too far and lost the ability to create and enforce boundaries? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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July 18 · 36 min
John Cowan: Should kids under-16 have smartphones?
ACT's David Seymour has floated the idea of a smartphone ban for under-16s to replace a social media ban, allowing teenagers to only use good old brick phones. Could this be a good alternative to the social media ban, or should this not be government decision? John Cowan joins Tim Beveridge for The Parenting Squad to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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July 4 · 36 min
Sara Chatwin: It's okay to interfere with your child's friendships
What happens if my child starts befriending or dating someone I'm really not a fan of. How do I protect them from getting played or getting into a toxic relationship? When should we interfere with our children's personal lives? When and how do we put our foot-down and say "no, you can't hang out with this person" How do we do that with respectful authority, that strikes a balance between making sure you're not ruling with an iron fist, and that our kids understand where we're coming from? Mindworks' Registered Psychologist Sara Chatwin joins Tim Beveridge to unpack what can be done. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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June 27 · 37 min
Stephanie Pow: Kids, pocket money and parental control - where do we start?
Founder of Crayon Stephanie Pow joins Tim Beviredge on Parent Squad to discuss how you should monitor your kids' pocket money. When's the right time to get them started? And how much control should parents have to veto kids' purchases? But is it all up to parents to teach kids about cash? Or do schools have a responsibility to help out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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June 20 · 37 min
Maneesh Deva: Is kids being bored without their phones such a bad thing?
Paediatrician Maneesh Deva joins Tim Beviredge on Parent Squad to discuss the social media ban for kids under 16. One girl in the UK said she would simply stare at a wall without social media, but is that such a bad thing? And what do teens need for positive brain development? And what should be dodged? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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June 13 · 35 min
John Cowan: Teaching your kids to drive
Author and host of Real Life John Cowan joined Tim Beveridge to chat about whether you should teach your kids to drive or leave it to the professionals. And tips and tricks for if you decide to self-instruct your teens. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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June 6 · 35 min
Dougal Sutherland: Does telling your kids to 'be yourself' just lead to bullying?
Have you ever considered why we tell our kids to 'be themselves' when sticking out from the crowd can make you the subject of bullying? Umbrella Wellbeing CEO and psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Tim Beveridge to chat about the balances of supporting our children and allowing them to stand on their own. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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May 30 · 36 min
Sara Chatwin: Psychologist chats parents' sideline behaviour
Parents are acting up on the sidelines of their children's games in the mighty Waikato leading to youth rugby league games cancelled last Sunday after reports of physical and verbal abuse in Hopuhopu. Sport Waikato CEO Matthew Cooper said the problem is felt worldwide, with parents wanting to achieve through their children. What behaviour is okay at your children's sports games? When does support cross into abuse? MindWorks psychologist Sara Chatwin joined Tim Beveridge to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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May 9 · 37 min
Stephanie Pow: The real cost of parental leave
The cost of having or raising a child is often the most considered issue among couples planning to start or grow their family. It's not just the shopping trips for prams and cots and nappies - it's the income loss over the months of parental leave and the endless sick days once daycare starts up. Plunket estimates a medium-budget cost for raising a child for the first year comes to just under $16,000. That works out to a whole lot of sacrifice. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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May 2 · 35 min
Kathryn Berkett: The 'Jessica' trend and why it works
There's a new trend sweeping through social media - when your child is lost in a tantrum or a pre-teen spiral, you call out for your imaginary helper named Jessica, and more often than not it will confuse them enough to stop them in their tracks. Distraction methods like this one have been used for years and years, but why do they work? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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April 25 · 37 min
Dr Maneesh Deva: Sometimes children just need to figure it out on their own
Doctors are seeing an increasing number of young people coming in with unexplained symptoms. The prominent ones parents are probably seeing most frequently are the random headaches, stomach aches, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much. Parents will often treat their children with panadol and electrolytes, take their devices away before bed to avoid blue light, and hope the problem resolves itself. But these are all common signs something more could be going on - different ways mental health problems present physically. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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April 18 · 37 min
Dr Miriam McCaleb: Parents need to stop comparing themselves to online 'highlight reels'
You always hear stories about the different ways a person's childhood has had an ongoing impact throughout their life. There are some horrible stories out there, but it could even just be the way your parents would cook growing up, or how the way they would react to you relaxing results in habits that follow you into adulthood. So at the end of the day, are we all doomed to mess up our children in one way or another? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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